Close Reading - Nov. 18

Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television

http://www.afa.net/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?id=2147529292

Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television points out the obvious reasons why Obama has sinned on national television. After all, he must be the root of all evil for wanting to raise taxes on the rich. Through its use of diction, detail and syntax this article shows the evil that is Obama.

Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television uses strong pejorative connotation to knock-down all that is Obama. He uses words like "ugly", "sin", "hurt", "lust", "slavering" and "slobbering" all to describe Obama, his party and their policies. If that's not strong connotation, I don't know what is. All of these words are given to drive home the idea that Obama is leading 'Merica down the road of sin and corruption.

Fischer also uses a lot of detail to make his awesome, and obviously correct, opinion. By throwing in details like "...he is compelled to take more money from the rich. This is a direct, public and disgraceful violation of the 10th Commandment."  Wow. Really, just wow. I never knew the president made public statements. Also, I didn't know he was all for stealing from another man's wife, possessions, or anything that is his (achem... the 10th commandment... essentially). That added detail made me really think twice about our president and his duty to the country to be a good christian...

Lastly, Fischer gets creative with his use of syntax. He mixes it up quite often, and it always seems to have a purpose. Superb syntax usage, Fisher. Well done. Often, there is a strong statement that is a single sentence, acting alone as a paragraph. Yes, that is journalistic technique my friends, short paragraphs. However, that single sentence paragraph is usually followed by a longer paragraph to support his single sentence. What is in these longer paragraphs? More information about Obama and all of the rules he is breaking. This structure supports the general theme of his article: Obama is a crazed sinner that is terribly leading our country.

The use of diction, detail and imagery in Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television is all there for the purpose to show readers just how horrible president Obama is. So horrible, in fact, he got elected to a second term. Maybe that means we're all going to hell now.

* In case you haven't noticed, my extreme liberal and democratic views are kind of shown here in my commentary. If anything offends you, I do apologize. The American Family Values Association tends to stir up the worst in me, which is why I find them so easy to write about on close reading days. There is no way to argue that they aren't extremely biased, which is the kind of article we need for the assignment.

Open Prompt - Nov. 11

1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

Lennie Small in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is an important character who, on the basis of his actions alone might be considered evil or immoral. Steinbeck fully presents Lennie in a way, though, that makes the reader react more sympathetically than if they were going off of only actions. Steinbeck does this in order to show the importance of friendship and to dramatize the idea that the American Dream isn't always plausible. 

Steinbeck gives Lennie a mental disability in order to help the readers sympathize with Lennie's otherwise evil actions. He is a character that, on the surface, kills animals and people. Multiple times throughout the book, Lennie is seen killing a mouse or anything with fur. Without any background information, this might seem like an evil man killing innocent animals. However, since Lennie acts a lot younger than his age due to his disability, the readers don't make him responsible for his actions. When the readers don't blame him for his wrong doings, it makes it a lot easier to like his character and allows the reader to value the bond between Lennie and George. In the end the bond between the two characters ends tragically and when George must kill Lennie for his own good. Since the readers were sympathetically attached to Lennie, it drove home the importance of friendship between the two and allowed for the reader to understand that the character's dreams will not come true. 

Steinbeck also shows Lennie as a kid in a man's body in order to help the readers react more sympathetically. Lennie is characterized as a big, burly man who can lift more weight than anyone his size. This ideal characteristic, though, is unimportant to him. Instead, Lennie wants a farm, a dog, and other things that make him seem childish. As time goes on, Steinbeck's descriptions and imagery allow the reader to see Lennie as a child. His dependence on George is another thing that makes him into a little kid. Since he is only "a child" his actions seem innocent and harmless even though he kills living things. Lennie is simply unaware of his true strength and doesn't understand what he is capable of doing. This, too, shows the American dream isn't always possible. No matter what Lennie wants or works for, he simply can't reach his goals. He cannot stop killing animals, he cannot stop getting in trouble, and he cannot act like an adult. Since he cannot do any of these things, it makes the dream impossible to reach. 

Through George, Steinbeck also helps the reader sympathize with Lennie. George is constantly having to deal with Lennie and get him out of all kinds of trouble. While this is hard for George, it still makes the reader cringe when George is yelling at Lennie and doesn't seem to understand that he is just a kid. Steinbeck uses George to help take care of Lennie as well, adding to his innocence. Between the two there is a bond that is unbreakable. Sadly, their friendship is put to the test when George has to kill Lennie. Though Lennie's death might look like a good thing if one were to just take into account his actions, it really is a sad moment for the reader. Steinbeck created a character that is easily loved and, when he dies, the American dream the two characters shared died as well. 

All in all, Steinbeck uses many techniques to help the readers sympathize with Lennie, a character that seems immoral on the surface. Through his mental disorder, his child-like innocence, and his best friend George, Lennie is a character that is not easily forgotten. The friendship shown and the tragic ending shows the reader that not all dreams come true. 

Response to Course Material - Nov. 4

Upon deciding what to write about for this blog, I thought of nothing. What, really, have we done? Turns out... a lot. While we seemingly have moved through class at a nice pace with little homework, there has still been a lot of material covered. First: Tone exercises. Almost everyday I look forward to the quick-wit response to a tone like indifferent or facetious. Most of the time while Holmes is explaining, I come up with a sentence with the tone of the day and leave room for one noun. Ex. I do not care for _____ for it is of no interest to me. Boom. Indifferent. It doesn't really matter which noun is given to me, for I can adjust my sentence accordingly. While it doesn't always work, I have had some success.
We also have been doing a lot of AP work. This has helped me pay attention to distractors. I was unaware of how much I fell for their tricks until we did this. The one I usually can get rid of almost immediately is the opposite. The trippy distractors are when there is a partly true answer, to two right answers and one is vague. Those... are my weak spots. Writing questions has helped a little... but only to the point where I know I still need to work on paying attention.
For the past week (ish) we have been watching Death of a Salesman. I am really interested in diving deeper into the book because the movie was so perplexing. There are quite a few questions I have: Does Willy have a disorder? What is the role of Women? Why does Biff cause so much pain for Willy? What is the significance of the contrast between Biff and Happy?
All of the above I hope to see when I start annotations. Things I have seen, though, include many symbols and many ways to look through different lenses. This can include the marxist lense, which looks at the power and money of the situation. Specific characters they would look at: Charle, Ben and Willy.

Summary and Analysis - The American Dream

The American Dream

Summary:

- Author: Edward Albee
- Setting: Living room of Mommy and Daddy
- Plot: Mommy and Daddy begin in the living room talking about dissatisfaction. Mommy, who bought a hat, wasn't satisfied with the color. Both are also talking about how "they" are late. They repeat the phrase "we just can't get satisfaction''. This is symbolic of the New American Dream and the discontent with old ways. Meanwhile, Grandma represents the Old American Dream and is the only character that seems to know what is going on and acts as a mediator between the characters and the audience. Grandma is being taken by the "van man", or young man (aka New American Dream) after Mrs.Barker comes to visit from the Bye-Bye Adoption Service. All of this leads to the ending, in which the audience is left to think about what happened and is left with some important themes (which will be discussed later...)

Significant Characters:
- Mommy: Materialistic, needy, bossy, un-woman-like-she-man-devil who manipulates Daddy whenever she can. She is dissatisfied with pretty much everything and quickly replaces Grandma with Young Man
- Daddy: a wimpy, non-authoritative, man-woman who generally gives in to mommy's wishes
- Grandma: "Old American Dream" who doesn't take Mommy's crap, or anybodies for that matter.
- Mrs.Barker: plural, from bye-bye adoption, only person with a name
- Young Man: "New American Dream" that replaces Grandma

Narrative Voice and Author's Style:
-View: There is no point of view, no narrative figure. However, Grandma seems to be the person that knows most everything going on in the play, but does not reveal it to us until the end (or rather... leaves it up to us to figure out... )
- Tone: Comic
     *Albee uses comedy techniques to lessen the blow of the harsh message
     * Ex. Role Reversals, Discussion of something not usually public, ect.
- Imagery: All created to lead the reader toward different themes or topics
     * Beige v wheat - colors that lead to materialism
     * Grandma continuously talks about "old people" and describes them using imagery (wrinkled, sneezing,     ect.) to relate to the "wrinkling" of the Old American Dream
- Symbolism: A lot of the characters are used to symbolize something
     * Grandma = Old American Dream
     * Mommy = Materialism
     * Young Man = New American Dream

Quotes:

-"WHAT a masculine Daddy! Isn't he a masculine Daddy?"
This Quote has a lot packed into one simple idea. Mommy is talking to Daddy when he decides to open the door. She is being very cruel and dangling his manhood in front of him, daunting him like a child. This shows her dominance over him and includes a part of humor that Albee uses: role reversal.

- "When you get old, you can't talk to people because people snap at you. That's why you become deaf, so you won't be able to hear people talking to you that way. That's why old people die, eventually. People talk to them that way."
Here, Grandma is expressing her frustration with the way people treat the Old American Dream. She says that while the dream is still alive and waiting to be heard, nobody is willing to listen. Not listening is what will cause the inevitable death of the Old American Dream. It serves as a warning, but ironically, nobody is listening. 

THEME: 

- The American Dream is shifting to something more dangerous and materialistic if we don't start paying attention
     * This can be supported in a variety of ways. For one, Grandma leaves the fate of the dream in the hands of the audience and tells them that it is up to them. Mommy, who was shown being materialistic in her not being satisfied with a wheat hat, is then shown to be dissatisfied with everything. If she (or people) aren't satisfied, they will move on to something else; in this case, the new american dream. Young Man symbolizes the New American Dream and is shown to value materials, good looks, and seems to have no sense of individual, hardworking happiness. Since that is what people will move toward due to dissatisfaction, the world will end up materialist and only aiming for money, leaving happiness behind. Mommy and Daddy are materialistic to the point that they killed their own child because he was imperfect, which serves as a warning to the audience. Through this hyperbole, we get a glimpse as to what our world might become if we fully shift to this materialist, self-satisfying new world. 

Close Reading - Oct. 21

Glossy Garbage

http://www.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147483725 

Glossy Garbage, an article on American Family association, follows the same trend as other articles found on this website. In general, the website expresses the need for "traditional" family values and has only one point of view. This creates a very biased and controversial effect. Glossy Garbage is no exception. Through its use of diction, imagery and detail, this article drives the conservative and limited "traditional" family values home. 

The use of diction in Glossy Garbage is mostly pejorative connotation. When talking about the layout of the checkout isle, the author talks about kids being a"target," which is true. The word "target," however, has a very negative light. It points out that candy and kids are synonymous  but then pushes on to say that kids are targeted to sex when they see magazines in the isle. To back this up, the author also uses words like "bombarded' "cattle" "inappropriate" "lascivious"

The author also uses imagery to paint the picture of kids being cattle. "Kids corralled like cattle and force fed doses of porn" is the opening simile that sets the scene for the rest of the article. This imagery is used to exaggerate the idea that magazines shouldn't be placed in the grocery check-out line. From that point on, kids are shown to be in a "chute" (or isle) that slowly ruins the ideas of the american values. This image gives the reader of a one-way street that cannot be avoided. This is meant to convince the reader that this is what is ruining the home.

The use of detail in the article also adds to the ignorant idea that check-out lines are threatening the ideals of the american values. The author chooses to include information and quotes like "Look, Mr. Manager, we're not ignorant. We know you strategically place dozens of kinds of candy here for a purpose. Kids and candy go together like peanut butter and jelly. What doesn't "register" is the gratuitous display of trashy magazines with lascivious cover photos and salacious headlines," paints a picture that sends a warning signal to parents and tells them what to think about magazines. There is also detail that includes the way we can "save" our children from the oh-so-horrendous check out lane at the grocery store. "Fortunately, parents are beginning to speak out and complain to their local store manager, with exceptional results." That quote is added to indirectly show that it is good that parents are speaking out and that this real problem can be solved with something simple. 

Glossy Garbage uses diction, imagery and detail to show that the values of the traditional american family are in harm. Obviously this is a real problem; kids aren't paying attention to the stacks of delicious candy. Instead, the sex-driven children of our generation look at pictures on vogue and see porn. Those 10 steps to being a healthy human being? No... nude pictures of women that little boys are paying too much attention to. The obvious conclusion? Grocery stores are ruining the traditional values of the American Family. 

*Warning* Extreme use of sarcasm. People are  ridiculous. But, the point is the same, the article has an extreme bias and uses parts of the rhetoric to make its argument. 

Open Prompt - October 14

In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.

     In the novel Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Hurston uses the opening chapter to function as an introduction to the major themes of the work. One of the best opening paragraphs in history, Huston sets the stage for the novel, let alone taking in the chapter as a whole. 

     The opening sentence, "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board," very carefully sets the stage for the rest of the book. In that sentence alone, Hurston creates the idea that every person has a wish that is far away. In the next couple of sentences, she points out that some of these wishes come true, while others will never be obtained and might even be used against them. This is a repeating theme found in the novel as the protagonist, Janie, realizes that not all of her dreams will come true. It is simply a fact of life, but good things can also come from them as well. 

     The first chapter also introduces a look into the colloquial dialect that is continued throughout the book. As Janie walks through town, rumors are being spread about her and a man named Tea Cake. These rumors are being spread by girls who envy all that Janie is, yet Janie has yet to find out who true voice. The use of language is directly parallel to Janie learning how to control her own voice, which leads to another theme. Janie's control of language shows the empowerment and identity that can be obtained through speech. 

     Lastly, the opening chapter introduces the first glimpse as to Janie's relationship problems. This later develops into a coming of age and a search for her own identity. After suffering from relationship to relationship, she finds  Tea Cake. In the end, Tea Cake dies and Janie suddenly realizes that she can't define herself from another human being, which leads to the idea that everyone is an individual that must find themselves.

     Their Eyes are Watching God  is a prime example of how the opening chapter can be used to set the stage for the themes of the book. Hurston carefully thought out how to begin her piece, which made her story  have that much more impact on the reader. 

Response to Course Material - Sept. 7

In the past couple of weeks, we have been working on how to analyze literature. From using DIDLS, to looking for tone and structure, we have many ways to pick apart a work. Most of the time, what I do in class is separate from how I work at home and in daily life. That is not, however, the case as of now. Today, I spent the morning watching Taken 2. Not a piece of written literature, you say? Sure.. maybe so. But the entire time I was totally geeked out, imagining how the movie would be written out. Weird, I know. But true. Diction is fairly obvious, the words that characters use. It really didn't have an effect on the movie (or if it had been written out...) since it was mainly just easy to follow, simple words. Imagery, obviously, was the scene of the movie. But... would writing it out make it any more powerful? Yes. I believe the answer is yes. We all have our favorite book-turned-movie. Sadly, the movies simply do not compare. One of the reasons, is the use of imagery. In a book, imagery appeals to the senses and has great detail that the reader must pay attention to. With a movie, people are simply shown; which doesn't necessarily appeal to the audience's senses. One part that I would have liked to read - instead of watch- would be when the dad is taken into a tiny, dark room. They showed the setting, but had it been described, it would have been that much more powerful and would have made it seem more intense. There would have been words like "the humid moisture clung to his forehead as he patiently fumbled to reach his phone..." There. Not just shown, but gave more feeling that each person can relate to their own experience. Skipping to syntax, my most embarrassing moment was leaning over to my friend, talking about a fight scene and how it would look written out. His response...? A blank stare. Odd, but I had to explain. See, as it was filmed, there were short and quick movements that made the watcher confused and unsure of who was winning which fight. On the page, I eagerly pushed on, the set up would be very similar. Short, quick sentences. To the point, very choppy. This would interrupt the flow and the structure would parallel with the fights themselves. Again... just a blank stare. Sadly, my geek moment could not be shared, but with that, I realized that how I read literature will be change drastically if I have already tried to analyze my own rendition of a movie.